Toaster
by AnAquiredPaste
Summary: "This way, I can keep an eye on you." Tsuyu is the only student aware of the new kid's past status as a vigilante.
1. Chapter 1

I noticed a general lack of OCxTsuyu stories on this site, so I wrote this the way I saw myself existing in this universe. I'm throwing myself in the deep end on this one.

-(Toaster)-

Prologue

I distinctly remember Quirk Day in my first year of school. We got to share with the rest of the class the attributes of our Quirks. I had almost missed that day of class because of an incident the day prior when I nearly slipped and fell down the staircase at my house.

But as I arrived in the classroom that day, I did not expect to see such magical displays of wonder. There were rainbows streaking across the classroom, children playing tag and other playground games (the teacher had stepped out for a bathroom break and stopped the horsing around upon his return), confetti suspended indefinitely in the air, sand castles and glass sculptures (not very good ones), life-size action figurines, it was /incredible/.

It seemed everyone was having fun with each other's Quirks, even the ones that didn't have one. However, in the back of the classroom sat a young girl who, from what I could remember, was often outcast for her often blunt behavior and off-kilter appearance. I didn't remember her name at the time because it was still the first week of class, but I did recall seeing her always alone.

I guess to me she did look a little weird, frog-like even, but that wasn't really enough to stop me from deciding in that moment to approach her and say hi. Unfortunately, before I got close enough, I was intercepted by another student instead.

So in lieu of befriending Tsuyu Asui that day, I became best friends with Koukan Matsuge, a girl with a personality the size of All Might's grin and a name probably meant for a boy.

Growing up, I would see Asui-san occasionally, and it seemed she never made friends. Of course I felt guilty about it because of how things might have turned out differently, but it never lasted long because before I knew it, I was surrounded by other people and had no time to sulk and wonder "what if?"

Alas, even now I have no regrets. Although Tsuyu spent much of her childhood in isolation, in the end she got everything she could have wanted. And me? Let's just say I got a happy ever after of my own...

-(Toaster)-

Chapter 1

"When I become a hero, I'll bring you in myself, kero."

We were 12 when she told me those words. I was leaning against a wall in an alley with a downed villain just a meter or two away when she found us. It didn't take her long to figure out what had happened: I had subdued the man with my Quirk, evidenced by the black print I'd left on his face, as well as the black soot covering every inch of my hand.

It was hard to take her seriously with that blank expression she always wore in class.

Frankly, I didn't think Tsuyu Asui would react that way. At the time, I assumed she might be impressed, if anything, at the notion that someone my age could pull that off at all. I was wrong. She saw me for what I was: a vigilante. A hero without a license. A criminal.

After she walked out of that alley, we never spoke again. At least not until that day...

-(Toaster)-

Today was a fairly normal day for Class 1-A at U.A., one of the most famous hero academies in all of Japan. The weather had been fantastic all week: clear skies, fair temperature, and a bearable humidity, all trademarks of an early September climate.

"You're leaving?"

All eyes were locked onto a single student seated at the front: Yūga Aoyama.

"Oui! My first choice hero school in France has sent me an acceptance letter!" the laser-blasting boy exclaimed, flashing a victorious pose.

A few students deadpanned at the flamboyant boy's response.

"Is UA not good enough for you?" Eijiro muttered.

Before Aoyama could reply, another voice cried out in utter shock. "Ehhhhh?! You're leaving too?"

Necks broke as head flipped to the other side of the room where Jirou's voice had rung out. The earphone jack hero was staring directly at Koji Koda, the resident animal whisperer, who was blushing bashfully while nodding.

"Seriously? What is this?" Kaminari pouted in his seat, arms crossed. "If someone else announces that they're leaving I'm gonna flip."

There was silence save for a hushed discussion regarding Aoyama's progress packing his belongings from his dorm (he had only been there a couple weeks when the acceptance letter came in). No one else spoke up about plans of leaving UA. It seemed nobody wanted to watch the blonde tesla coil attempt a backflip.

"Koda-kun, why are you leaving?" Ochako asked as politely as she could, leaning in to listen to his answer. Koda leaned in as well and whispered his reply into her ear. At his explanation, her expression fell.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Koda-kun. I understand your situation, I would feel the same way. I support your decision completely," she reassured the boy, who smiled back meekly.

"Wait! What did he say?" Kaminari jumped out of his seat with exceeding great curiosity. His question fell on deaf ears as another voice overtook the classroom.

"Aizawa-sensei!" the class president stood abruptly, a stern look on his face and his hand raised perfectly straight at the ceiling. "If there are two vacancies in our roster, will they be filled?"

The teacher he was addressing groaned from his sleeping bag at the foot of his desk. "Oi, lower your voice." He slowly rose and hopped toward the lectern at the front of the room, not bothering to leave the warmth and comfort and peace of his sleeping bag. "To answer your question, yes. We have two students transferring in. One is from the General Course, but he is absent today. The other student is from a different school. He should be here shortly. And please," Aizawa stessed the ending, "try to make them feel welcome. I have a headache and I'd like to avoid any kind of mayhem. Understood?"

The teacher's glare apparently eliminated any utterance of defiance.

"Excellent." Aizawa backed away from the lectern.

Mineta could be heard mumbling to himself disappointedly about the fact that both new students were male.

Right on cue, the massive door of class 1-A slid open slowly, and a single student walked in with a pleasant smile plastered on his face. He was slightly shorter than Shoji, and his short black hair was cut down to a military crew cut. His other features were shockingly normal. All the other students stared in confusion and surprise.

"Everyone, meet Tanso Himitsu. Please treat him with respect, or whatever it is you do with new students. As he assimilates into the class for the next few minutes, I'll be taking a nap, so keep it quiet or I'll make today's lesson painful. Understood?"

Everyone nodded except for one student, who continued to stare at the newcomer at the front of the room.

"Good." And with that, Aizawa was magically transported back to his sleeping spot, taking part in his favorite pastime.

Meanwhile, Tanso was scanning the room for any familiar faces. A few stood out to him, namely the few who did especially well in the Sports Festival. He had a keen interest in the top three placers of the event in particular. Katsuki was ignoring the newcomer with a frown, while Shouto studied him carefully. Fumikage simply looked on with passive indifference.

And then his gaze landed on a certain frog-girl. His smile slowly toppled from his face.

"They're staring at each other..."

"Does he know Asui-san?"

"You don't think they're...dating, do you?"

Suddenly, the boy spoke up. "Hm. Must be the wrong classroom," he mumbled before turning and speedwalking to the door. Before he could reach out to it, a long tongue flew out and wrapped around his wrist, stopping him in place. "...damn."

The other students watched in shock as Tsuyu Asui, one of the quieter girls in the class (and also the shortest), stood up and walked toward the front of the class, tongue still extended and eyes never leaving the newcomer. The boy's expression never changed from his now apparent look of dread as he was dragged out of the room by the frog girl, the door forcefully sliding shut behind them.

"..." the class didn't know how to react to this, save for Mina who simply smiled to herself.

"Definitely dating."

Another voice spoke up. "Anyone know who the other student is?" A round of gossip began anew in Class 1-A.

-(Toaster)-

"Strong grip you got there, Tsuyu."

Tanso's wrist was no longer being held by Tsuyu's tongue, but rather her hand as pulled him along toward an unspecified destination.

"Call me Asui."

Her pace was fast for someone her size, but Tanso had no trouble keeping up. His long legs made for long strides, which meant he had to try hard not to kick Tsuyu's feet as they sped down the hall.

"Sorry, did I offend you, or something?" No reply. "If you're taking me to see Principal Nezu, you might as well stop now-oh, we're already here. Wonderful."

The door to the Principal's office was much smaller than the massive classroom doors that towered over the students passing through. Tsuyu opened the door with her free hand and stepped through, Tanso following.

"Ah, Asui-san, hello." Nezu sounded as cheerful as ever, seated in the chair that was clearly meant for a person taller than he was. "I see you brought a friend."

Tsuyu frowned at his remark and replied, "He's not my friend, he's a criminal, kero."

The animal genius interlocked his fingers (or whatever they might be called, philanges perhaps?) on his desk and chuckled lightly. "You're referring to his past as a vigilante, yes?"

The girl blinked once in surprise.

"Yes, all the teachers and staff know about him. In fact, if we didn't, he wouldn't be here at all. You see, one of the teachers here had the idea of adopting students from the Juvenile Vigilante Detention Center. Many of them have not only impressive Quirks with great potential, but also experience fighting real villains. In essence, they are simply heroes who got impatient with the system.

"The teacher who proposed the idea rightly pointed out that U.A. has the resources to reform these troubled individuals into remarkable heroes. We currently have three ex-vigilantes with us now, and Tanso is one of them."

Tsuyu looked up at the boy's face to verify the Principal's words. Tanso sensed her gaze and glanced at her. "It's true. I was detained a month ago. They said I would be freed after five years of behavioral rehab or after obtaining a Hero License. As you can see, I made my choice. Also..." he looked down at his arm, "you're wrinkling my sleeve."

Tsuyu reluctantly released Tanso's arm and he muttered a small thanks as he rubbed his sore wrist.

"Asui-san, I am glad you came here as soon as you did," said Nezu. "I cannot risk Tanso's past becoming known to the other students, so I expect you to keep this information secret."

"...Yes, Principal."

"Terrific!" Nezu finalized, clapping his paws together. "Asui-san, if you have no further questions, you may return to your class. You as well, Himitsu-san."

"Actually, about that..." Tanso drawled. "Any chance you can switch me to a different class? I feel a bit uncomfortable with..." he silently signalled in Tsuyu's direction with his eyes, "being in the same room as me. We're not on the best terms, as you saw." Tanso put on a fake smile in hopes it would boost his charisma.

"I suppose I could, but..." there was suddenly a glint in the animal's eye, "doing so might add five additional years of rehab to your sentence."

The boy's smile faltered slightly, but held. "I-I see. I appreciate you looking out for my interests, Principal."

Tanso turned to leave and noticed Tsuyu had already departed. Sighing in relief, he made his way back to the classroom.

-(Toaster)-

"No."

"Eh? Really? So you didn't drag him out of the class to meet in a secret place and do couple things?"

"What kind of person do you think I am, Mina-chan?"

It was lunchtime, and the bustle of the Lunch Rush cafeteria made excellent cover for gossiping about juicy rumors, much to Tsuyu's discomfort. Mina had already gotten the wrong idea about their relationship, and Tsuyu hoped she would be the only one.

"Well you guys were staring at each other for a while, you know? And he was smiling the whole time, too-"

"He's not my friend, kero."

Mina sighed in disappointment. "Fine, if you insist..." She glanced around the room and noticed their class rep near the staircases in the back, scolding the new kid about not eating at one of the tables. "Wow, that didn't take long."

The other students looked in the same direction and watched as the argument got heated. Jirou decided to dub the conversation as she heard it:

"How irresponsible, you refuse to follow the rules even on your first day?" The others listening to her at the table could only smile at how accurate her impression of Iida was.

"I'm not hurting anyone, am I?"

"Regardless, rules exist to be enforced, so as your class representative, I must ask you again to please bring your food to one of the tables!"

Eijiro decided to make this more entertaining. "A thousand yen says he stays there for the rest of lunch."

"You're on!" Tooru challenged, making a fist in the air (at least, the others assumed as much, since she was invisible). "I say he'll come to one of the tables."

"Look man, it's going to take a lot of convincing to get me to move. Just give up," Jirou continued.

"My money's on him leaving the cafeteria," another added.

"I think he's going to walk to the other staircase."

"Maybe he'll start a fight?"

"Sheesh, what the heck, Kaminari? He's not a delinquent!"

Tsuyu frowned slightly at the notion. 'He is though, kero,' she thought.

"Well how would you know, anyway?" Kaminari shot back. "We've only met him a couple hours ago, he could easily be a murderer in secret." He shrugged carelessly. "Anything can happen."

Jirou's voice cut her off. "Guys, he's moving." Everyone returned their attention to the new kid as he rose from the stairs and started walking in their direction. He eventually reached one of the other tables and sat down silently. Iida also returned to his table and began complaining to Izuku and Ochako about the new kid's "blatant disregard for school policy."

"That was...interesting," muttered Eijiro.

"I win!" exclaimed Tooru. "Time to pay up, everyone!"

As the students who participated in the bet fished around in their pockets, a thought came to Tsuyu's mind. "Jiro-san, what did Iida-kun say for Himitsu to move?"

"Oh, I'm not sure, they were whispering at that point so it was kinda hard to make out," the earphone girl replied.

Tsuyu made no visible reaction, but the gears in her mind were turning. 'I should ask Iida-kun about it later.'

-(Toaster)-

The rest of class went by as normally as could be expected, much like Tanso wasn't present in the first place. He had chosen an empty seat in the back of the room where no one could see him without turning around, save for the teachers at the front. For the most part he was completely silent, only breaking his silence to cough or clear his throat a couple of times.

Toward the end of class, Aizawa decided to get him more involved.

"Himitsu-san," he called out. The tall boy glanced up from his desk.

"Yes, sensei?"

"Be aware that after class, I will be examining your Quirk. Wait for me by the field in your gym clothes, understood?"

"Sure."

Aizawa then focused his attention to the rest of the class. "Seeing as the rest of you were present while I tested your Quirks, you are all free to observe. Is this alright by you, Himitsu?"

"Couldn't care less."

Aizawa grunted in response.

-(Toaster)-

After an hour of lecture, class was finally dismissed. Before Tanso let out a sigh of relief, he remembered what exactly awaited him outside.

'Damn, I gotta take a test now.'

As he grumbled to himself, a single head popped into view in front of him.

"So," Mineta started, "what's going on with you and Tsuyu-chan, huh?" The grape hero had a creepy smile on his face.

Tanso blinked. "Who the hell are you?"

"I asked first."

"Nothing. Nothing is going on, and I'd like to keep it that way. Forever."

Mineta's creepy grin vanished. "Eh?"

"You sound disappointed."

"That's because I am! There's seriously nothing between you two?"

"Honestly," Tanso mused, "I resent her a little bit." A frown passed his countenance momentarily. 'Always looked at me differently since that day, how annoying.'

Mineta was clearly shocked by Tanso's statement, but decided not to respond to it, instead walking away in confusion.

"What a weird little boy," Tanso mused aloud.

An hour later, a good portion of Class 1-A was on the UA training field. Tanso stood up front, stretching in preparation for the teacher's so-called Quirk Apprehension Test.

"The objective of this exercise is to the test the upper limits of your Quirk in various physical activities," Aizawa declared, sounding even more bored than usual. "If I don't like what I see, you're out of the school."

Tanso blinked once. "Wait, really? Can you really do that?" He looked at his classmates for reassurance and paled when he saw them anxiously nodding their heads.

"As a teacher of U.A., I'm allowed certain freedoms when it comes to teaching you ungrateful brats, and deciding who stays is one of those freedoms. Now throw this," he instructed, tossing a small ball-like object to Tanso, who caught it easily.

"Throw it?" Tanso asked, confused. "Is this a middle school athletics test?"

"Use your Quirk this time."

"Oh." Tanso continued lookinf at the ball. "There's a slight problem."

"Is that so?" Aizawa asked, intrigue touching his voice.

"My Quirk doesn't actually affect my physical movements, so you can probably just use the same scores I got last y-" Tanso stopped talking and began sweating when he looked up and saw his teacher glaring at him intensely.

"Throw."

Gulping once, the new kid walked up to the throwing line and chucked the ball into the air as hard as he could. Seconds later, it hit the ground.

"46 meters," Aizawa read from the device in his hand. "I hope this is your worst area, because my mother could throw you that distance. Next event..."

The events that followed played out similarly, with Tanso failing to apply his Quirk to anything.

"I'm on the verge of expelling you, Himitsu," Aizawa muttered. "This is the last event. At least try to use your Quirk. I know you have one."

By now, most of the students had left, disappointed in Tanso's lackluster performance. He might not have been the least athletic person in the class, but the fact that his Quirk conveniently didn't apply to any of the previous events turned out to be a massive letdown. Many of the others that were there were only interested in his Quirk. The only students that remained were: Izuku, who held out hope that he would see a cool new Quirk soon; Ochako, because Izuku stayed behind; Sero, because he didn't have anything else to do; and Tsuyu, because she didn't trust Tanso at all.

The distance run turned out to be the last event, which differed from the 50 meter dash in that the time was set for 5 minutes, and the examinee would run as far as possible in that time. Naturally, Iida ranked highest in this event, and Mineta was lowest due to his short stature.

Tanso did some additional stretches before lining up at the start of the track.

"Go," muttered Aizawa, and off the boy sped.

Five minutes later, Tanso looked at his score as it was listed on Aizawa's phone. "2.45 laps...that's better than...what I got in...middle school..." he panted.

"And you still didn't use your Quirk." The teacher let out a sigh. "I expected more from you, but it seems clear to me you're not the creative type. You'll probably have to see someone who can give you ideas on applications for your Quirk." He turned and began walking away. "We're done here. Go home."

As Tanso continued recovering his breath, he was approached by Izuku, with Ochako close behind. "Ah, um, Himitsu-san?" the green haired boy asked.

"Hmm?"

"Why didn't you use your Quirk? I-I'm sure you would have done better if you used it..."

"Unlikely." Tanso was standing straight again. "I can't think of a way it could help me in these tests."

Ochako was the one to ask the question on Izuku's mind. "What is your Quirk, Himitsu-san?" Izuku's face showed relief in knowing he himself wouldn't have to ask.

"Oh, um...that's hard to explain, to be honest."

Tsuyu answered for him. "He secretes carbon through his skin."

The three turned to face her. "A-Asui-san!" Izuku exclaimed.

"Call me Tsuyu."

"R-right..."

There was a moment of awkward silence between the three of them before Tanso decided to leave.

"I'm tired...I think I'll go home now," he stated bluntly as he walked away.

"Tsuyu-chan, let's walk to the dorms!" Ochako offered. The frog girl nodded, and the three students returned, whereby they were immediately interrogated by the other students about whether or not the new kid is any talented.

-(Toaster)-

Tanso sat in his room as he watched the news for any signs of criminal activity. He did this out of habit more than any intention of getting involved. He was forbidden from engaging in vigilantism, and if found doing so would be tried as an adult vigilante, at which point U.A. could not bail him out of prison.

The thought of imprisonment genuinely scared him. He had made many enemies on the streets and in the alleys, and nearly all of them were in the same prison, the one he would likely be sent to if caught.

Even so, a part of him simply didn't care. Fighting villains was the only thing that filled the hole left behind that was once filled with love for his best friend.

'Koko-chan...you should have left me.'

Suddenly, a news story broke out. A serial mugger in his area.

"Oh?"

His mind was made up instantly. Who could blame Tanso for wanting to protect his neighborhood from petty thieves and criminals? Besides, the description of the assailant was mild enough. Subduing him would take less than a minute. It was perfect.

"I think I should go for a walk..."

A thought crossed his mind, and he couldn't help but laugh aloud.

'Ex-vigilante? Who does that Principal think he's kidding?' He was already putting on his shoes and preparing to leave.

'Asui-san is right to distrust me. But she doesn't have to know that.'

-(Toaster)-

Next time: Aoyama and Koji move out of the dorms, and Tanso moves in. The other new student has recovered from his cold and returns to school...

To be continued...

 _I am currently accepting OC's for villains (one of them will have an important tie to Tanso's past) so feel free to PM me with your ideas! I don't intend to treat them like punching bags, so a backstory (compelling or otherwise) is appreciated, thanks._

 _ **If you're wondering about Aoyama's and Koji's fate, Aoyama eventually meets the legendary Ladybug and Chat Noir in Paris, while Koji becomes a part-time park ranger and animal behaviorist. One could say he became a different kind of hero. They will be referenced in later chapters. Good times, my friends.**_

 **Special thanks goes out to chaotickairos on reddit for creating an unofficial timeline of the events of My Hero Academia. Found that IMMENSELY useful.**

Final notes: See any mistakes or inconsistencies? Tell me and I will be eternally grateful 3 Bye bye!


	2. Chapter 2

-(Toaster)-

Chapter 2

 _"It's been decided! I'm going to be a Pro Hero!"_

' _This girl, I swear…'_

 _I sighed as I stared at the branches of the massive zelkova tree towering above us, a partly cloudy sky behind it. It was barely May, and though the cherry blossoms had fallen weeks ago, their petals still could be seen blowing around from time to time on breezy days like this. Days like this reminded me most of Koukan. They both were carefree and boisterous, prone to random gusts that could throw anyone off their game. Like this comment about becoming a hero, for starters "Really, Koko-chan? You're making important life-altering decisions already? We've only just started middle school..."_

 _"Well, duh!" She scoffed at my reply, and I could almost hear her eyes rolling. "There isn't a better time than now to make up my mind on this. My Quirk can save a lot of people, so I can be the greatest hero ever!"_

 _A light breeze blew across us as we lay beneath the tree. It tossed Koukan's long blonde hair into a whirlwind like a flurry of snowflakes, while leaving my dark hair draped over my mouth. A single leaf was ripped from its mother branch and drifted down toward me. Blowing my hair away from my face, I caught the stray leaflet between my index finger and thumb._

 _"I guess I can see that happening." I turned the leaf over, my eyes tracing the patterns. It had barely sprouted from the bark, judging from its size. Why did this one fall, of all the leaves that were much larger and older, with worn stems, capable of catching more wind?_

 _A hint of annoyance made its way into Koukan's voice. "You don't sound convinced at all, Takkun."_

 _I decided to sit up and look directly into her hazel eyes. "Fine. I'll support you if you can answer my question."_

 _"Ha!" she laughed, rising to her knees and meeting my face. "I can answer anything you throw at me. Give me whatever you got, weirdo!"_

 _Weirdo? My calm facade cracked and I snorted at her bizarre reaction._

 _"What's so funny?" she pouted._

 _I reached out and tapped her nose with my fingertip, leaving a black smudge. "You're the weirdo, silly."_

 _Her eyes slowly crossed as she caught a glimpse of what I did. "Ah!" She went to rub the graphite off her nose, but only succeeding in smearing it to the rest of her nose. "Takkun, you jerk!"_

 _I couldn't hold back my laughter this time, releasing probably the most honest joy I've felt in a while. It must have been contagious, because Koukan's laughter slowly filled my ears as well. It was still the most beautiful sound I had ever heard._

 _It took us a minute to calm down, and when we did we returned to our spots on the ground, staring up at nothing and waiting for nothing. At least, I waited for nothing. The silence between us hung uncomfortably as though something remained unspoken. I wasn't sure why._

 _"So what's your question, Tanso?" she asked aloud._

 _Hm. Koukan didn't forget. It seemed she never did._

 _"Right..." Before I asked, I looked back at the leaf still in my hand. Lifting my thumb from it, I noticed a large blot of graphite smeared on its face._

 _"Why do you want to be a hero?"_

-(Toaster)-

"...I don't."

Immediately, Tanso's eyes widened as he realized he had just nearly blown his cover. 'Shit, I got caught up in the memory and answered too honestly!'

The boy whose question he had just answered looked at Tanso with a blank expression, blinking once like a camera capturing Tanso's blatantly uncharacteristic response to what was supposed to be a simple inquiry. "You don't...want to be a hero?" Shouto Todoroki was genuinely perplexed. "Then why are you here?"

"I-I'm kidding!" Tanso insisted, a bead of sweat rolling down his face. "I do want to be a hero! I'm just conflicted as to why, I guess."

"Hmmph." The half and half hero seemed to lose interest in the conversation, and with a perplexed frown he turned back around to face the front of the classroom, seemingly occupied by an argument taking place. The other students in the room were chatting away as they waited for their teacher to arrive.

'That was uncomfortably close,' the short haired boy sighed.

"There's a cut on your face, kero."

Tanso turned to see Tsuyu seated at the desk next to him. His hand moved instinctively up to the cut above his eyebrow. His fingertip brushed against the scab that had formed.

"Oh man," he mocked, his tone poorly feigning surprise. "I forgot to cover that up this morning, now you'll connect the dots and realize I got into a fight last night!" he announced sarcastically, to which Tsuyu narrowed her eyes in suspicion.

"Did you fight another criminal?"

"No." Tanso lowered his head onto his arms and grumbled. "My brother punched me during an argument."

A brief pause endured in which Tsuyu seemed to be thinking. "You're a bad liar, kero."

"Yeah, well, joke's on you. This one isn't a lie." It was true. He never made it past the front door the night before. His brother happened to be watching the news at the same time and stopped him at the door.

"I was talking about your response to Todoroki-san," she corrected. "He's probably suspicious of you now, kero. What will you do?"

Tanso sighed. Things rarely seemed to go right for him. "Nothing, I guess. Doing something will only increase suspicion." Tanso unknowingly rubbed the area where his brother had struck him, and this mindless action did not go unnoticed by Tsuyu.

"Why were you two fighting?"

He looked up at her. "I, uh, wanted to go out, but I'm apparently not allowed to leave the house outside of school hours." He brought his voice down to a whisper, "Part of my sentence for the first year, or until I have my Provisional Hero License, whichever comes first."

Tsuyu frowned in confusion. "Aren't you moving into the dorms, kero?"

Now it was Tanso's turn to be confused. "Dorms?"

The frog girl nodded and followed up with a brief explanation of the implementation of dorms just a couple weeks ago. Due in part to the multiple attacks from the League of Villains (of which Class 1-A was the sole target), the school thought it would be best for the students to live near the campus, effectively turning the normal hero academy into a boarding school in the process.

"The dorm for our class is called Heights Alliance," Tsuyu concluded.

"Wow. I had no idea. I guess I have to talk to the Principal. And my case manager, apparently," Tanso muttered, lowering his voice significantly at the last part.

A few moments of silence passed between them. He decided it would be a good idea to change the subject. "So, looks like you've made some friends here, eh Asui?"

"I did, kero."

"That's nice. You still keep in touch with that Mongoose girl?"

Tsuyu's face showed the slightest inkling of surprise. "You remember Habuko-chan?"

With a broad smile, Tanso replied, "Of course! How could I forget someone with red hair and a snake's head? The two of you were like the dynamic duo of the school!"

"You and Matsuge-chan were the dynamic duo before that, though, kero."

Tanso grimaced at the mention of his best friend. He wasn't used to hearing her family name since she was friends with nearly everyone and repeatedly insisted that everyone address her as such. Tanso was the only person (to his knowledge) she allowed to call her 'Koko-chan'. This was the first time in years he had heard the name said aloud by someone else. "Y-yeah, I guess we...were."

"I even thought you were pretty cool, kero, before I learned what you did in your free time."

"That's because I was cool," he joked, smirking as he ran his hand through his now short hair. "I had a long flowing mane and an admirable personality."

"And now you have more flaws than you do redeeming qualities, kero."

Tanso shrugged, unfazed. "I'm a changed man, what can I say?"

"Now you fight villains from time to time, even though you aren't allowed to," the frog girl deadpanned.

Wincing, Tanso tried to correct her. "Well you see, it's not really fighting, it's more along the lines of talking to them until they fall asleep..."

Tsuyu looked elsewhere with a finger to her mouth as she said, "How hard did Matsuge-chan's death hit you, kero?"

Tanso froze. What struck him most about the sentence wasn't the mention of Koko's demise, but the way she had said it as if it held no weight, the way her inflection ended with a little ribbit that showed no regard for the graveness of the question. It irked him.

"Tsuyu," he breathed shakily. "Your abrasive side is starting to show," he muttered below his breath, his eyebrow sinking downward. If she heard him, she made no indication of it as she continued.

"The class was devastated, but you stopped coming to school for a while. You came back eventually, but you were a completely different person, kero. You even cut off all your hair."

"Asui." Tanso's expression was becoming difficult to pin down, ranging from pleading to downright furious. "Let's just leave it at that, I'd very much like to not go back there. Could you please drop it?"

Before she could say more, an explosion rocked the classroom, followed by an angry voice shouting, "I AM NOT A FUCKING MODEL!"

The blast must have snapped him out of it because Tanso tentatively tapped his ears a few times before sighing in relief. "Good, I'm not deaf yet. Not sure how you guys can deal with this every day."

Just then, the classroom door opened and Aizawa-sensei walked in. "Shut up and sit. Class is starting." The other students returned to their seats quickly and waited to hear the teacher's announcements.

"As I mentioned yesterday, we have a second student coming into the class." His eyes moved to the open doorway. "Come in," he spoke. As the new student stepped in, a couple of gasps were heard when they saw his face.

"Hey." It was Hitoshi Shinso, the purple haired brainwashing student that nearly defeated Izuku in the Sports Festival.

"EHHHHH?!" a collective cry shook the room, causing Aizawa's brow to twitch in annoyance.

"Just like yesterday," the teacher began with a certain edge to his voice, "I'll give you some time to adjust. Any loud noises are punishable by death, or something." Aizawa turned away and started fumbling with the zipper of his sleeping bag on the floor.

Hitoshi began moving toward the back of the classroom but was stopped when Izuku began talking to him.

"Shinso-san, you made it into the hero course, congratulations!" he whispered loudly, his smile so wide that Hitoshi found himself returning it.

"Thanks," he replied, and he then continued until he found himself seated beside Tanso.

"I don't recognize you, are you new?" Hitoshi asked him.

"Something like that," Tanso replied and paused for a few seconds. "I saw you on TV during the Sports Festival, I'm impressed. I doubt I would have reached that point."

"Oh, you saw that? Ha ha...not my finest moment, but what can I say, I was up against someone from 1-A." He looked around for a moment before chuckling. "Guess I'm officially in the same class now, huh?"

And then, the newest 1-A student was suddenly bombarded from all sides with questions from the others.

"Hey, how did you get into this class anyway?"

"Is that your natural hair color?"

"Can you brainwash me if you haven't said anything to me before I talked?"

"Why do you look so _tired_? You should sleep more."

Tanso took this opportunity to sneak away from the poor guy. _'Looks like you're on your own this time, sorry,'_ he mentally apologized, not bothering to sham a single ounce of sincerity. Looking around the room, he saw Tsuyu sitting alone, as usual, and momentarily considered continuing their conversation before he recalled where the said conversation had ventured.

Hefting a light sigh, he shook his head and took another empty seat near the back of the room. He closed his eyes. The squabbling of his peers was surprisingly peaceful to listen to, perhaps because they were doing their best to keep it relatively quiet. Apparently, Aizawa's wrath was something no one dared incite upon themselves.

-(Toaster)-

It was lunchtime again, and the distinct smell of a burning _something_ was filling the cafeteria. It wasn't strong enough to make anyone gag in disgust, but it was quite noticeable. No one really knew the source of the odor, only that it seemed to be stronger near the kitchen. But that couldn't possibly mean Lunch Rush had burned someone's food by accident, right? He was a master chef, after all. He couldn't make such a rookie mistake, his honor wouldn't allow it.

Despite the scent, the cafeteria was as noisy as ever. Aoyama was excitedly telling his friends about the school he would be attending, as well as the history of his favorite heroes of France.

"And that's exactly when the legendary Chat Noir appeared!" he announced, practically glowing with pride.

While a few students applauded Aoyama's story, many of them rolled their eyes in amusement, including Mina Ashido. She turned to Tsuyu with a smirk.

"He sure seems overly excited on his last day at U.A., huh?" The frog girl looked at Aoyama and stared before Mina continued. "So, what were you and Himitsu talking about this morning?"

"Stuff that happened last night, kero." She didn't look at Mina as she spoke.

The pink girl blinked in confusion before smiling menacingly. "What kind of 'stuff' are we talking about, you sly frog?"

Tsuyu innocently turned her head to Mina and responded, "It's not what you're thinking, Mina-chan, and I'm not allowed to discuss it, kero."

"That makes it even more suspicious," Mina chuckled. She then sniffed the air a few times. "Hey, is that smell getting stronger?"

Tsuyu also noticed the same and looked toward the kitchen. What she saw made her frown in confusion. Tanso was walking toward the tables, tray in hand. On the tray was a slice of pizza and a block of charcoal, still smoking.

Tsuyu wasn't the only one to notice this, as a few other students started whispering. Before Tanso could get too close to the tables, Iida had stopped him in his tracks, ready to set him straight once again.

"Himitsu-san! What is that on your tray?" he shouted, pointing at the tray. Tsuyu saw Tanso flinch, but the movement was so slight and brief that it was unlikely anyone else would have noticed it.

"It's charcoal," he said quietly, then smiled. "Man, if I knew I could get charcoal made to order here, I would have applied at the start of the year!"

"You cannot eat that here!" Iida decreed.

"Oh." The boy looked down at his tray, a playful expression on his face. "Didn't realize specialized diets were against school policy." He shrugged nonchalantly. "Better throw this out and go into carbon withdrawal." He turned while muttering about the side effects of carbon withdrawal and began walking back to the kitchen, leaving behind a stuttering class rep.

"W-w-wait a second!" Iida chased after the new student. "I'm sure we can come to an agreement of sorts!"

As the two students raced off, many of the other students found themselves interested in the outcome of the event. Once again, Jirou became the center of attention. As she looked up from her food, she realized the number of eyes staring at her expectantly.

"What?"

"Aren't you gonna tell us what they're saying?" Kaminari asked.

"Nope. It was funny the first time, kinda boring now." Jirou's decision was immediately met with loud complaints from some of the others. It didn't last long because heads were turning to watch as Iida returned to his table.

Ojiro chuckled while lightly scratching at an itch on his tail. "Looks like the new kid gets to sit on the stairs. Good for him." True to his word, Tanso was now comfortably seated on the stairs, taking bites from both his pizza and the chunk of pyrolyzed wood.

"Is anyone else getting the vague feeling he's not interested in friendship?" Eijiro mused. "He's doing really weird stuff."

"Yeah, you might be right. At least he's not being a total jerk like Bakugou," Kaminari responded, eliciting a growl from the explosive boy.

"Keep talking, I might just show you how much of a jerk I can be," Katsuki threatened, his hand crackling with explosive energy and ready to pummel the overgrown Pikachu.

-(Toaster)-

For a dorm room, Tanso found his new living space fairly small. His room at home was bigger, though not by too much. Here, he only had space for his bed and desk, neither of which he had the chance to bring here.

Instead, all he had was a box of clothes and a futon, as well as another box he hadn't the opportunity to open. Tanso didn't think he could possibly complain at the shortage of things, because the fact that his older brother actually left the house to bring him this was an incredible feat on its own. Denshi Himitsu was, after all, a NEET.

'I wonder what was going through his head while driving here...'

Nonetheless, this was more than enough for Tanso.

A hand clamped down on his shoulder, causing him to start and nearly drop the box in his hand.

"Hey there, neighbor."

Tanso turned to see Rikido Sato, the sugar hero, beaming at him.

"Oh, I remember you. Sato, right? Your room is next door?"

"That's right! And on the behalf of everyone, welcome to the dorms. Need help setting up?" Just as he said it, Sato looked past Tanso and noticed how empty the room was. "Never mind."

"Yeah," Tanso drawled. "It's pretty bare right now. Also, is someone making dessert?"

Sato's face lit up. "That's me! They're cupcakes for the going away party tonight, you should come and join us!"

"Hmph. Maybe I will. In the meantime, I have a few things to unpack, so…"

"Right. See you later!" the sugar hero chirped as he left the room. Tanso's eyes followed him out the door, then down to the box at his feet. He opened the box and began pulling out the appliances his brother had thought to bring him, immediately recognizing one of them.

"He brought me our toaster," he said aloud. The Himitsu toaster was no ordinary toaster: it was set to burn anything placed inside it down to a smoldering lump of carbon. "He knows me well."

Next was a carbon monoxide meter. Tanso had one of these in his room ever since his Quirk manifested, for safety reasons.

There was a knock at the door. Tanso sighed as he put the device on the floor and agonizingly rose to his feet. ' _I was so comfy, too…'_

He opened the door to see Izuku standing there.

"Hey," Tanso said.

"Himitsu-san, you left your phone downstairs in the living room, I-I thought you might want it." He held out a black smartphone with a timid smile. Tanso returned the smile and received the phone.

"Thanks, I appreciate it." He turned the screen on and saw the time was nearly 6:00 pm.

"Ah, i-if you don't mind me asking…" Izuku seemed more nervous than usual, which intrigued Tanso.

"Go ahead."

"Um, who's the girl in your background picture?"

Tanso blinked at him and looked back at the phone to notice the image of Koukan he had set as his background. He had become so used to seeing it that he had forgotten she was still there."

"I-I don't want to intrude i-if it's personal!" the smaller boy stuttered. "It's just that...the others downstairs were debating on your relationship with her, and-"

"Wow," Tanso cut him off. "Didn't see this coming."

"They tried asking Asui-san about it b-but she refused to answer any questions."

"Well, you can tell them that she…" Tanso paused. What the heck could he possibly tell them? The truth seemed out of the question, he didn't want anyone's involvement in his business. And pretending she was still alive was just too dishonest and painful for him to consider. "Tell them that they should mind their own business." It was the only reasonable idea that came to mind. He had a feeling he was only inciting more attention and that he would ultimately regret this later.

"O-oh, okay." Izuku wasn't sure what to say, so he awkwardly turned and walked away. Tanso's eyes remained on the green haired boy's curly locks until they were out of his sight.

"This is fine," he told himself unconvincingly. "They're students at a prestigious school, they have respect for boundaries, surely." He looked back down at the image of Koukan on the screen. There was no reason to change it now, he figured, as it was already seen by likely everyone in the building.

5:56. The farewell party would begin in two hours. There would be cupcakes. Could be nice.

He returned to his room to continue unpacking.

When the two hours rolled around and voices were heard passing his door, he decided at the last minute he wasn't in the mood for cupcakes.

 **I ended up doing a ton of rewriting of the rest of the plot, mostly because I read an amazing novel that gave me a bunch of ideas over the past month. The new version is more focused and coherent, I assure you. Apologies for the massive delay, you can expect more similar delays in the future. Just a heads up.**


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